USTCC and WTCC join forces

FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) promoter Marcello Lotti and Nitto US Touring Car Championship (USTCC) Director Ali Arsham met in the United States to lay the basis for a future cooperation between the two championships.

Lotti was visiting the US to evaluate the possibilities of including, for the first time, an American event in WTCC's 2012 calendar. He took the opportunity to meet Arsham and establishing the first contacts with the Nitto US Touring Car Championship.

"The US market is very important for car Manufacturers and this is why we are seriously taking into consideration the idea to hold a WTCC event here. And because one of our priorities is to establish friendly relationships with national touring car series worldwide, the logical step was to contact Ali Arsham, whose championship makes the Super 2000 cars eligible among other classes. We have started working together with the aim to organize a common event for next year," said Lotti. Arsham commented: "It would be an honour for the USTCC to contribute bringing the World Championship to the United States. Sharing the same event would be a terrific benefit for both championships and I'm looking forward to working together with Marcello Lotti. The next step will be choosing the right location and date for a common race meeting."

The FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) is one of only four official FIA World Championships. The others are Formula 1, World Rally Championship and the FIA GT1 Championship. The WTCC races worldwide with races in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa with drivers from 17 countries represented. The WTCC is shown on 75 TV channels in 160 countries.

The Nitto Tire United States Touring Car Championship (USTCC) is America's most exciting touring car racing. Cars are mass produced sedans, coupes and hatchbacks with chassis and drivetrains that have been modified for maximum performance. The USTCC is supported by many manufacturers and aftermarket companies that want to see their products used in action. The USTCC can be seen on TV in the USA on Final Drive TV and worldwide on the Internet on www.finaldrive.net.